Chapter 16: One Outdoes the Other in Acting

Why was it described as an incredibly dramatic spit of blood?

That’s because…

With a “pfft” sound,

The blood sprayed out in a mist, looking utterly terrifying and exaggerated. Then the six-year-old skinny boy started coughing as if he wanted to hack out his lungs.

In truth, it was just that one mouthful of blood—not much at all—but the spectacle of it spraying out was enough to shock and awe.

The onlookers were completely stunned.

Hua Ni’er’s Mother was dumbfounded. She had thought Er Mao was faking it, but now he had spat out such a large mouthful of blood right in front of everyone.

Hua Ni’er was utterly terrified.

“Er Mao!”

Jiang Dai was genuinely frightened.

She no longer cared whether she was acting weak or putting on a show. She stood up and rushed to Er Mao’s side.

Although she had fake-spat blood on film sets before, this wasn’t a film set, and there was no such thing as fake blood here.

The blood her third son spat out could only be real blood from being injured.

“Juanjuan, don’t be scared, it’s okay.”

Jiang Dai first comforted her little daughter.

When Er Mao spat blood, Juanjuan had been the closest to him. Jiang Dai was worried it would leave psychological scars.

She didn’t dare move her bleeding son—who knew if it was an internal injury? What if moving him made it worse?

But…

Jiang Dai stared at the blood on the ground. It looked vaguely familiar, somehow.

Soon, she dismissed the thought.

Ridiculous—how could there be fake blood here?

Her imagination was really running wild.

Juanjuan looked down at the blood on her clothes, then stared at Er Mao lying on the ground as if he were dead, her gaze as though she were seeing a ghost.

Her mother was asking people nearby to fetch a physician. The aunties and grannies around were buzzing with discussion.

But in Juanjuan’s ears, there was another voice—Third Brother’s.

【Thanks, System. Can’t leave everything up to Juanjuan.】

【The family’s so poor right now, I really don’t want to eat wild vegetable pancakes anymore. I want eggs!】

【With this blood-spitting act, given how Mom and Dad usually are, we should be able to extort quite a bit of money. Then the family can buy proper food.】

【Plus, since I’m “spitting blood” and “badly injured,” they’ll definitely give me the best food first. Ah… too clever.】

【System, check Juanjuan’s favorability.】

His tone was leisurely, not weak at all—even satisfied.

Juanjuan felt extremely conflicted. She seemed to understand, yet not quite, what Third Brother was saying.

She only knew that Third Brother was fine—it was all an act.

But where did that mouthful of blood come from?

Fortunately, Juanjuan was more composed than most children her age and could keep things to herself. Any other four-year-old would probably have lost it.

Suddenly, Juanjuan shuddered.

Third Brother’s previously calm and relaxed voice suddenly turned sharp and piercing, filled with panic and confusion.

【‘What the hell is this?! One moment -22, the next 0, and then -36?!’!】

Juanjuan looked down at Third Brother, tilting her head slightly as she tried to understand him. But the child found it truly beyond her.

Third Brother…

was really strange.

【I really want to crack open that kid’s brain and see what’s going on inside!】

【This favorability rises and falls, rises and falls—is it playing games with me?!】

Juanjuan: …

The little girl silently crawled to her feet, staggering slightly as she tried to move toward Wang Dachui.

But she accidentally noticed Eldest Brother and Second Brother standing nearby, silent and unmoving.

Juanjuan: !

When did those two get here?!

Bai Yunqi pulled his sister over and comforted her, “Don’t be scared, your brother’s here.”

Juanjuan: …

Could she say she wanted to go to Dachui instead?

In Juanjuan’s heart, at least for now, her own brothers weren’t as reliable as the boy next door.

She felt that all three of her brothers were unusual, even a little frightening.

Her parents, on the other hand—whether through whispered conversations, their conduct, or their expressions—radiated a kind of innocence that made her want to be close to them.

Bai Yunqi looked at his dazed, foolish little sister.

He reached out and ruffled Juanjuan’s hair like he used to do with his sect’s spiritual pets, sighing inwardly.

【She must be really scared. Mom and Dad are too busy, so it’s up to me, the heartthrob, to step in! Ah…】

【And this second brother—he’s been silent since he woke up. Did the fall make him stupid too?】

【But these people… even without spiritual energy, if I’d been reborn as a sturdy fifteen- or sixteen-year-old, I wouldn’t be this helpless!】

Listening to Eldest Brother’s muttering, Juanjuan roughly guessed that he must have been very powerful in the past.

The physician arrived quickly.

Along with the physician came the Village Head of Niantao Village and Hua Ni’er’s father.

“Whoa!”

The Village Head pushed through the crowd and was utterly shocked by the scene.

Er Mao from the Bai family—the good-for-nothing third son—was lying on the ground, a pool of blood beside him, more blood around his mouth, and bruises all over his face.

This…

“Did Hua Ni’er do this?”

The Village Head, an old man, looked at Hua Ni’er in disbelief.

It was hard to understand how a six-year-old girl could have beaten Er Mao up like this.

She must be fierce!

Hua Ni’er was truly scared now. She never thought she could make Er Mao spit blood!

“Village Head, Er Mao and the others fell off an ox cart and down the mountain yesterday.”

A kindly auntie nearby filled the Village Head in.

The implication was that Er Mao had already been injured before.

“You can’t say that!”

Jiang Dai stood up, tears glistening in her eyes as if she were fighting hard not to let them fall.

She was naturally delicate and beautiful, like a graceful lotus, making people sigh at her loveliness.

But now, with sorrow etched between her brows and feigned strength, she resembled a battered lotus still standing proud after a storm.

While the physician examined Er Mao, Jiang Dai stood up and once again tapped into her acting skills.

“My Er Mao was fine yesterday! He was lively and energetic when he went out today. If Hua Ni’er and the others hadn’t beaten him, how could my Er Mao suffer like this!”

“Er Mao should have been home by now. Our family just survived a disaster and was ready to live properly! But now…”

“Now we might be separated by life and death! I don’t want to live anymore!”

As soon as Jiang Dai finished speaking, she rushed toward a nearby tree to crash into it.

“Mom!”

Juanjuan cried out anxiously.

Bai Yunqi watched his mother charging swiftly—but into the crowd: …

Second Brother Da Mao, who had been silent all along, watched his mother and found the move somewhat familiar.

The last time he saw it was when a concubine in his father’s colleague’s family drove the wife to suicide.

The onlookers immediately rushed to stop her:

“Oh heavens! Bai Family’s wife!”

“Don’t do it, don’t seek death.”

“Er Mao isn’t dead yet, he’s not dead!”

Bai Tian watched his wife and silently gave her a thumbs-up in his heart.

【Damn! That’s seriously impressive!】

“Is this… Bai Tian’s wife?”

The Village Head stared blankly at Jiang Dai.

It was hard to connect this woman—with her excellent looks and voice—to the previously silent, gloomy, and slovenly Bai Tian’s wife.

Old Lady Wang spoke up, “Yeah, they say the fall fixed her brain. She’s normal now, but she can’t remember anything after coming to Niantao Village.”

The Village Head nodded, indicating he understood, then turned to Jiang Dai, who had been stopped from killing herself:

“Bai Tian’s wife, don’t worry. Er Mao might be fine.”

Then, the Village Head looked at Hua Ni’er’s father, “Wang Xi, your family will compensate Bai Tian’s family with one tael of silver.”

Wang Xi frowned. One tael of silver was no small sum!

“We don’t want silver!”

Bai Tian’s declaration stunned everyone.

No silver?

“No, husband, give it to them!”

Hua Ni’er’s Mother immediately recalled what Bai Tian had said earlier.

This man was reckless—one tael of silver was a small price to pay!

“Oh? You don’t want silver?”

The Village Head became intrigued.

He looked at Bai Tian as if seeing the young man from years ago, before he fell into the bad habits of drinking and gambling.

Bai Tian nodded, “No silver.”

He looked at Hua Ni’er’s family and declared firmly and resoundingly:

“I want them to heal my son! If it costs one copper coin to heal him, then spend one copper coin!”

“If it takes ten taels of silver to heal him, they must heal him! I, Bai Tian, only want a healthy Er Mao—I don’t covet your money!”

“I only want a healthy Er Mao!”

Hua Ni’er’s Mother’s face changed.

This… was worse than giving some silver to cut ties with the Bai family!

Bai Tian: 【One tael of silver to brush this off? What a joke!】

Jiang Dai: 【This cheap husband did well!】

Eldest Brother: 【Tch… Mom and Dad seem different from what I remember, but still a bit like scoundrels.】

Second Brother: 【So pitiful. When I return to the General’s Manor, I’ll definitely give this family more silver.】

Third Brother: 【System! Make my pulse weaker!! Don’t let this old man say I’m fine!!!】

Listening to her family’s inner monologues, Juanjuan suddenly felt: maybe this wasn’t such a big deal after all.